The Common Denominator A Justin Bieber Story
by Stephielove95
Summary: I'm currently in the middle of writers block here, so this story is really just gonna have to wait. In the meantime, I've got some other ideas going on. I'll see what I can do.
1. The Common Denominator Justin Bieber

The Common Denominator

When it comes to love, everything is irrational.

It doesn't matter what age you are, or what kind of life you have.

When you find that one person, it's impossible to love anyone else.

But what happens when you're a fifteen year old rising star with millions of girls following you?

And she's not one of those girls?

She can appear out of nowhere, and disappear the next morning.

And I'm left waiting for her next appearance.

I thought after the first time she left it would be frustrating, but I just wait for her.

Over and over and over.

Not because I worry about her, which I do, but because I can't stand being away from her.

Every time she comes back, I feel better.

Not as if I was sick, but as if I was broken.

As if there was a hole in my heart, and her appearance fixed the hole.

And once her appearance was over, it came back.

Harsher, darker, thicker, more painful.

But worth it.

Oh so worth it, to see _her_.


	2. The Common Denominator JB Chapter 1

Chapter one:

Sunshine

I sighed again as I stared out the window at the sunny Arizona landscape. I couldn't even remember where I was performing tonight. All I wanted was for her to show up. Nothing else would cheer me up but her. I hadn't seen her in so long; it was almost physical pain to be away from her. I looked down at my foot, currently in a large boot, and thought about how I had gotten it. My fans and even Usher and Taylor believed that I had tripped on stage during the almost beginning of my song and broke it, but I knew, and that was all that mattered…..

_I laughed as she swung back and forth on a child's swing._

"_How'd you find this place?" I asked her, watching her ponytail sway in the breeze she created from the swing._

"_Simple. I've been here before." She replied._

"_You've been to England before?" I asked incredulous. _

"_Yeah, I have a few friends in England." _

"_Is that where you got the pants?" _

_She looked sheepishly down at her legs, usually clad in a pair of camouflage shorts to go with the white tee shirt she was wearing, and blushed. _

Thinking about that stopped me short. I lingered there, wishing I could see her now. Stroke her cheek, kiss her.

Too bad she knew none of that.

I'd been in love with her since the first time I met her, and I knew it, yet I'd never had the guts to tell her that. Even when perfect times came up.

"_Yeah. It's cold up here. And my English friends also seem to prefer American clothing, luckily." She smiled. My returning smile was an automatic response. Her happiness always gave me happiness. Suddenly, she started laughing._

"_What's so funny?" I asked her._

"_Just where we are. It reminds me of a movie. Two best friends in a park, on the swings." She explained. My smile faltered, and I tried to get it back before she noticed. I obviously wasn't quick enough._

_  
"What's wrong?" She asked, her eyebrows pulling together in concern._

"_It's just that, I think of you……leaving, and I'm worried. How will you get back to America?" I tried to make a joke of it. _

_In all reality, I had been about to say "as more than a best friend. I love you." Why it changed, I have no clue._

I thought about that. Why did I change my words? Why couldn't I just spit it out?

I knew why, though I didn't want to admit it. It would scare her. She wouldn't love me like that. She wouldn't come back. And that was one thing I knew I couldn't handle. I pushed it out of my mind, returning to my daydreams.

_She smiled then, eyeing me with enthusiasm. "I have my connections." She responded. That was always her response. No matter where in the world we were, she had her connections. Whatever connections these were, I was always insanely thankful for them._

_She sighed then, and I already knew what she was going to say._

"_You need to get back." Her sky blue eyes held back tears._

"_No I don't." I argued. "I'll stay with you. All night. I promise." I said, getting up from my spot on the ground to join her on the swings. _

"_I'm pretty sure a lot of fans would be seriously disappointed. We'd have a riot on our hands." She laughed. I just liked the way she said "we"._

"_Yeah, well. It's a good thing I'm a fast runner." I stared into her eyes, trying to convince her._

"_You've obviously never tried to outrun a bunch of fanatical girls." She responded. "They're drive to touch some part of you makes them run at almost super human speeds." _

"_You know this how?"_

"_My cousin and I almost got The Fray." _

"_Nice." I responded. She kicked off to start her swing. I followed, pushing the swing to its highest point. _

"_You still need to go." She said as we swung in time with one another. As her swing pushed forward again, she flew off at the top point, landing gracefully on the balls of her conversed feet. She waited for me to follow, and I did; only it didn't work out so well. As I landed, I could feel my foot roll as I landed flat on the ground. _

"_OH MY GOSH. YOU JUST BROKE YOUR FOOT!!" She yelled. She quickly picked me up and put her arm around me, apologizing._

"_I can't believe I just did that to you!! I'm so sorry!" Her voice wavered, and when I turned to see why, I saw the tears spill over her cheeks. _

"_No way, this was my fault. I jumped off the stupid swing." I told her, hopping on my good foot and wanting to wipe away the tears._

I had been lucky I could walk on my foot a little bit before that show. I didn't have a great excuse, and I didn't want anybody finding out about her. It seemed like a weird thing to do, but no one ever knew about her, and I didn't intend on telling anyone, though she said it had been okay. She was my personal sunshine and I was too greedy to share.

"Justin, we're here."

I sighed as I saw the venue. I watched as girls began screaming when the busses finally came in sight, and how the screams increased as I stepped out. Luckily the fences were pretty strong. I looked at each girl, smiling and waving. I paused for a second, but was quickly rushed inside, hearing somebody say that we were behind schedule. I nodded, trying to forget the camouflage shorts and white tee shirt I could've sworn I'd just seen slipping behind the front row of the crowd.


	3. The Common Denominator JB Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Search

I couldn't focus as I waited backstage for the show to start. The only thing I could really see was the white tee shirt and the camouflage shorts. I couldn't be sure it was her, but that glimpse had me shaking from head to toe. I was standing on the edge of the shadows that hid me from the fans out there, and I nearly ran out into the crowd to find her. Someone nudged me in the side, and I finally realized the music had started. I made my way out to center stage and began scanning the crowd. Girls were jumping around everywhere, but I couldn't see her. I sang through my set, scanning for her the entire time. I thanked my fans and told them I loved them, running off stage.

Who was I kidding? She'd never shown up in a crowd before. She'd always appeared backstage or outside, somewhere apart of the crowd of screaming girls. She would appear when I least expected it.

I walked slowly back to the car that originally took me here, listening to everyone around me tell me how great tonight's show had been. I just nodded, not trusting my voice. I climbed into the back of the SUV, waiting for someone to join me. Suddenly, the driver took off.

"Um, is anyone else coming?" I asked as we followed the cars of the rest of the crew.

"Usher was supposed to join you, along with a few others, but I believe they took a separate SUV." Harvey, the driver and part of the security, replied. "They want you to get some sleep." He smiled. "But I told them you'd probably be up anyways."

"I don't know Harvey." I started to yawn. "I'm pretty tired." Dreams would be better anyways. She'd probably be in those at least.

"Well, that sucks." An all too familiar voice said from behind. "I thought we could at least catch up." I nearly launched myself over the seat to look at her.

"Hi." She smiled.

"Hey, Stephanie." I smiled in return. Suddenly I remembered Harvey.

"Uh, Harvey, this is-"

"I know who she is." He laughed. "I've caught her sneaking into the backstage before. She's sly, though. Could never quite get her." He flashed a smile, and she laughed.

"That's what you get for looking away." She laughed. "I disappear like that." She snapped her fingers together. She climbed around and sat in the seat next to mine. My memory soon came back to me.

"Were you there tonight?" I asked. "In the crowd, I mean."

"Yeah, for the first part. What were you looking for?"

"You."

She smiled at that. "How'd you know to look for me? I was in the middle part of the ground floor, by the way. You never would've seen me. The girls in front of me never left and were constantly jumping up and down."

"I saw you at the gate, waiting to get in."

"Oh." Her eyebrows pulled together, and then relaxed. "Dang, wasn't quick enough. I tried getting behind some other girls when I saw all the stuff pull up, but everyone was going forwards while I was trying to go back." She laughed. "I swear, I'm gonna have bruises up and down my arm tomorrow. Those girls are tough." She leaned back into the seat.

"How long have you been here?" I asked.

"A couple days. I have a few friends I stayed with." She said. "I love it here. Nice and warm." She said, closing her eyes for a few moments. "How have you been?" She finally said, opening her eyes to look at me.

"Okay." I told her. "It's been awhile since you've been around. I was getting bored."

"No worries. We'll have plenty of fun in California." She replied.

"Is that where we're going?" I turned to Harvey.

"Yep." He replied. "And it's good timing, too. We're going to a station for an interview in the morning, but the rest of the day you have off. I'll offer up a chance to take you somewhere, and sneaky over there can meet us." He informed us.

"Sweet." She smiled. "Beach time."

"Where are we gonna go?" I asked. "Aren't people going to be all over the beaches?"

"Not my beach." Steph interjected.

"Figures you have some secret thing." I mumbled. "You probably have something in every state."

"Nope." She replied, "Not Idaho. Never been to Idaho." She smirked. I rolled my eyes and she laughed. I sighed and yawned.

"I'm sorry. I'm keeping you up. Sleep." She told me.

"No, no, I'm okay." I told her, yawning again.

"No, I'm commanding you to sleep. I need some rest too. My friends didn't exactly live down the street." She said, closing her eyes again.

"How far?" I mumbled, drifting.

"The upper border between Arizona and New Mexico. And we're nearly to the Arizona-California border already." She said, yawning. "Darn you. Quit yawning." She smiled, rolling on her side to face me. I threw my arm over the back of my seat and shut my eyes, using the vibration of the car to put me to sleep.


	4. The Common Denominator JB Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Vacation

I opened my eyes to the bright light flashing in my face.

"Harvey, turn the light off." I said, rolling my head to the other side.

"Last time I checked, I wasn't the guy in charge of the sun." He replied. This surprised me.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"Adjusting for the time change, six-thirty a.m." He said, reaching for his car clock. I squeezed my eyes shut, attempting to get up, but found I couldn't move. This made me a bit more aware, and I looked down to see her hugging me to my spot.

This made me smile. I slowly began stroking her hair as she continued her slow breathing against my chest. I looked up at Harvey's rearview mirror and saw him looking a bit chagrin.

"So, where are we going?" I whispered.

"Like I said yesterday, a radio interview. Don't worry, it's nothing big. Maybe one or two teen magazines there to talk afterwards." He said, not bothering to keep his voice down. "It's in San Diego. We're heading for Coronado Island after that for a few days." He said. "We all have reservations to Hotel Del Coronado for a short vacation." He smiled. I could hear the double meaning in his words, to which I smiled as well.

We drove on, her still sleeping, I stroking her hair. I watched as we passed through cities to reach the coast. As we finally drove into San Diego, Harvey spoke for the first time since I had woken up.

"You really like her, don't you?" He asked.

I turned to look in the rearview mirror. "Yeah, I guess." I told him. He shook his head.

"No, I can see it in your eyes. There is no "I guess." You really like her." He said in a teasing tone. He and I laughed.

"Yeah. I do." I finally admitted. He just shook his head. "Crazy teenaged love…" He mumbled, mocking me.

"You do what?" Stephanie mumbled. She opened her eyes and looked up at me. Then, almost instantly, she realized the intimacy behind where she lay and moved back into her seat.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to do that. I was tired and I didn't realize where I was really laying my head. If that was weird, I promise I won't do it again." She said so quickly I could hardly understand it, her face reddening with every word.

"No, that's okay." I said. Harvey began to chuckle, and I could feel the blood rush to my cheeks now. "Um, I didn't mind. You were warm." I swallowed, hoping my words wouldn't come back to hurt me. Instead, she smiled a bit, and lay back in her seat.

"So, you go to the radio station. I've got a ride to the beach on Coronado." She said. "I'll get my stuff set up in the hotel. I'll meet you there, alright?" She turned to me.

"Sounds good." I told her.

"Time to get out." Harvey said. "Not you Justin." Harvey interrupted as I reached for the door handle. "Steph." She smiled and quickly jumped out onto the side walk. Shutting the door behind her, I watched as she disappeared down the road. Harvey began pulling away almost immediately, making it almost unnoticeable that we stopped.

"She's one wild girl." Harvey said, shaking his head. "Nearly scared the hell outta me when I got in here last night. I recognized her right away, but she explained that she was your friend."

"Yeah. I guess she is kind of interesting." I said. "But I think that's why I like her."

"Well, good luck with that." He said. Silence ensued afterwards, until we came to the station.

"We're here." He said.

I quickly hopped out of the SUV, cheerily making my way into the station. Everyone around me seemed sort of surprised.

"What's up?" I asked to no one in particular. It was Harvey who answered.

"Everyone's surprised. You've been kind of lonely looking lately." He laughed. "But I guess that won't be a problem right now, will it?"

I just shook my head and fixed my hair, preparing myself for my fans. I could already hear the screams as they announced my arrival.

As soon as the interview and autograph session finished I went as fast as I could to get back into the SUV. Harvey still managed to beat me, since my boot was a bit of a disadvantage. We took off after everyone was in their cars. I climbed out of the car and walked silently while I was checked into the hotel. I made my way up to the room and began to unpack. My mom was busy organizing her things while she talked to me.

"Do you have any plans while we're here?" she asked. I began to answer when I noticed a slip of paper in my luggage.

_Justin,_

_Slight mix-up. Don't worry, Harvey guaranteed a week's stay; I'll be back in around three days. _

_Steph_

"Uh, no." I replied. I had known she would leave, but she would come back, right? She said so herself, right there. Three days to wait out, then she'd be back. I sighed as those three days began to sound like a life time.

I flung myself onto the bed, putting my arms behind my head. It finally hit me how long my night had really been and how uncomfortable the car seat was. I climbed a little higher so my head could reach the pillow and quickly fell asleep.


	5. The Common Denominator JB Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Wait

I rubbed my eyes as I became aware of my surroundings. I was still lying on the bed in the hotel we'd checked into. I glanced at the clock to see what time it was, considering the sun was no longer out. We had gotten here around noon, and now it was six p.m. I'd slept the whole day away.

"Good afternoon." I heard my mother say.

"Wow." I said, sitting up slowly. "I didn't mean to do that. How was your day?" I asked her.

"Wonderful." She said. "It felt nice to relax for a day." She smiled. "Of course, I'm sure you'll want to be outside."

"Huh?"

"You don't remember?" She asked. "You're getting your boot off tomorrow."

"Oh yeah. Huh." I laughed slightly. "It's really been that long, hasn't it?"

"Yes, although I'm not surprised it seemed so short to you. When you're not performing or being interviewed your off in another world that no one else can seem to penetrate." She eyed me suspiciously, but smiled all the same.

"I didn't really notice." I told her, getting off the bed to walk around and avoiding her questioning gaze. "Everything is just going so fast. It's nice to slow down." I said, gazing absently at the floor. I ran one hand through my hair, fixing it, unsure about what to do now.

"Why don't you just relax?" She said, reading my expression. "You deserve it, and you'll probably be walking around much more after your boot comes off."

I nodded, lying back down on the bed and grabbing the nearest remote control. I turned on the television and flipped through random channels, settling on a show that I wasn't even paying attention to.

I jumped when my phone broke the comforting back round of the television. I opened it, wondering who could possibly be calling me right now. On the screen was a text.

_Hey Justin. Sorry, I'll be back soon. _

My heart skipped a beat, and then kicked into full gear. Could it really be her? I wouldn't let myself work up that kind of hope. I'd need to be sure before I did anything irrational. I hurriedly sent a text asking her identity.

_You don't know this person. _My mind told me.

_Yes I do. _My heart argued.

My hands were getting fidgety over the argument. They were shaking madly. It seemed like years before the phone rang again.

_Figured you'd ask. It Stephanie. I hid out in the car you rode in last night. I told you I came from upper Arizona. :)._

I pictured the smile that was poorly represented by the icon at the end of the message. Suddenly the phone buzzed again, and this time it was a picture. She was sitting in what looked like a taxi cab, riding through a city that was noticeable in the back window. This time I could see the smile I had been trying to picture and realized that my initial memory had not done it justice. I sent a reply, asking how she was and what she had to leave for, when my mom walked back in.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Nothing, texting." I told her.

"Ryan?"

"Uh, yeah." I didn't feel good about lying to my own mother, but how was I going to explain who I was really talking to? She'd think I had gone crazy, or worse, she could believe me and forbid me from ever seeing her again.

I stopped cold at that thought, vowing then and there to make sure her secrecy stay that way. I couldn't let her go.

_Stephanie's p.o.v_

I laughed as I read Justin's text. He really seemed interested in my dilemma. I smiled again as I messaged him about the hotel mix-up and how my cousin had misread my sloppy handwriting as the name of a hotel in Upper California. I sighed as I lay back into the seat, cherishing how I would probably be to my new hotel room in maybe another day. I reached for my phone as I felt it vibrate against the seat again, reading his response to my news.

_when are you gonna be back? I get the boot off tomorrow. we can have some time to hang together. :D_

I could feel my heart pounding as I read his words. I couldn't wait to see him again, and my anticipation for showing him the beach was intensifying. At least, that's what I was telling myself. I took a deep breath as the thought crossed my mind. I pushed it away, knowing that I could not allow myself to think such thoughts. I knew that it would only hurt in the end, yet I couldn't help picturing it.

I shut my eyes, letting my actual whereabouts fade into the background. All I could see was Justin, thrilled to see me. That perfect smile spreading across his face, and his arms outstretched to welcome me home. The words I'd always wished he'd say, "Welcome home, I love you," echoed in my head. It was a terrible imitation of his voice, nothing like hearing him in person, but it would do until I actually heard the words for real. Suddenly the phone vibrated again, shocking me out of my daydream.

_you still there? _

I started a message back, then remembered that I had some shopping to do. I quickly changed the message to a goodbye, telling him I hoped to be there soon. His reply was faster than I had expected, and I quickly flipped it open.

_ok. i'll be here. :)._

I smiled. It was a simple goodbye, just like most things between me and him. I texted him one last time, another simple goodbye.

_ok. i'll be home soon. :). _

I hit send before I could change my mind, and hoped with all my heart that my simple goodbye wouldn't create a complicated situation.


	6. The Common Denominator JB Chapter 5

Chapter Five

To The Beach!

_Justin's p.o.v_

I watched as the channels on the television flew past while I clicked the up button consistently. Finally I gave up and shut it off. I got up and began pacing across the floor, mentally noting that it was much easier now that I no longer had a boot on one foot.

I didn't know how much longer I could stand it. I thought about where she could be, figuring that it couldn't be too long until she came back. It was the last of the aforementioned three days she had promised, and the anticipation was starting to get to me.

The sound of the opening door shook me out of my daydreams and nearly stopped my heart all in the same moment. Everything slowed down as I watched the door open, but it resumed after I saw my mother walk in. She looked giddy.

"I have a surprise for you." She smiled. She motioned with one finger for me to come out into the hallway. I followed in a trance-like state, still thinking about where Stephanie could be. Nothing else seemed quite important enough to take my mind off her.

I stepped out into the hallway, looking left, then right, and saw nothing. I checked again, wondering what kind of joke this was. Before I got a chance to say my question aloud another voice interrupted.

"Hey man!" Ryan said, leaning out of the threshold of the next room.

"Ryan! Hey! Wow, what are you doing here?!" I asked. This was actually something I hadn't been expecting.

"Oh, you know, trying to get girls to believe I know you." He smiled. "I thought girls were supposed to know everything about you. I mean, if your obsessed with a superstar, shouldn't you be obsessed with his friends, too?"

"Yeah." I laughed, "Maybe, I dunno."

"Hey," He said, turning his head to the side. "Is that your phone?" He asked. My heart and my feet kicked into gear at the same moment, and I had it within seconds. I flipped it open, seeing her latest message.

_Hey. i'm back, and i brought a friend. meet us down in the lobby in ten minutes? :)_

I stared at the text, and then looked up at Ryan.

"What's up with the look?" He asked.

"What look?"

"You look…..confused. Like you can't decide on something."

"Uh, well…." I couldn't think of anything to tell him. "Do you want to go swimming?" I asked.

"Sure?"

"You don't sound sure."

"You're not telling me anything. How can I be sure when I have no idea what we're doing?"

"I just told you, we're going swimming. Get your stuff on and let's go." I said. He shrugged and went into his own room. I hurriedly sent a message asking if we were actually going swimming and if I could bring a friend too. She answered yes to both.

Ryan was standing in the hallway when I came out, and I put on my dark glasses and hoodie.

"Why?" He asked.

"Do you want to get mobbed by a bunch of girls?"

"Yes."

"Let's just go."

"Whatever you say." He said, following me to the elevator. The doors clicked open, and it was luckily empty. We walked in and I pushed the lobby button. We listened as the first three floors dinged by without stopping.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"The beach." I replied.

"You're going to wear that the whole time?"

"No."

"Aren't you going to get recognized?"

"We're going to a private beach."

"Where is this private beach?"

This threw me off. "I don't know."

"Who does?"

"Can't be that hard to find."

"Who?"

"Someone."

"Who's taking us to the damn beach?"

I had to laugh at his persistence. "A girl, and her friend." I told him. That would be good enough for now.

"They are….."

"Our age."

"What do they look like?"

"Well, the girl is blonde, with blue eyes. She's usually wearing a white tee shirt and camo shorts." I said, smiling.

"And her friend?"

"She………. Actually, I have no idea what she looks like." I said, thinking about that. What was this girl like? Was she the same as Steph? Or was she her connection?

The doors began to spread open, and I put up my hood before anyone could see. The last thing I wanted right now was to be attacked.

I stepped out and began scanning the lobby. She had to be here somewhere. My phone began ringing, and I opened it to find another text.

_To your left. ;)._

I turned to see her, standing with a red head, waving at me.

"This way." I said, beginning to walk. He was quick to follow, and I watched as she laughed while I approached. I was attuned to the dress she wore; an uncommon thing for her.

"Hey," She said, still about three feet away. "Let's go." She took off running, the red head close behind. I ran to catch up, and Ryan followed. We all burst through the back door of the hotel leading to the beach, and both girls took a sharp left. We wove in and around people lying on the beach until they stopped at a large rock near the farthest end of the beach.

"What……was that…….for?" I asked between breathes.

"There was a hoard of teenaged girls coming in, and they were talking." Stephanie said, her breathing pattern not affected one bit.

"About?"

"Justin Bieber!" The reply made me jump, but I realized it had just been the red head mocking what the girls probably would've done. She rolled her eyes.

"If even one of them would've seen you, you'd both be dead." Steph said. "By the way, worst. Disguise. Ever." She pulled off my glasses, allowing me to really see her now. I managed to control my facial expression, but my thoughts were far from control. If they didn't shut up soon I'd end up saying something pretty stupid.

"Whoa." Oops.

"Whoa what?" Steph asked.

"Why are we at a giant rock?" I asked, hoping maybe she wouldn't realize that it wasn't really a worthy answer.

"I'll show you." She said, walking towards a large, leafy bush on the side of the rock. She pulled aside a few to reveal a hole just big enough for a person. The red head dove in immediately, and Steph looked at us.

"Well?" She asked.

"Well what?"

"Well go." She said, motioning towards the hole. Ryan shook his head but ducked into the hole anyway, and soon he was gone. Steph now looked at me. Her smile fell a bit when I didn't move.

"Justin." She said softly. "What are you worried about? The only things on the other side are Anna, Ryan, and an empty beach." She smiled my smile, and my returning smile came naturally, out of habit of seeing something so uniquely beautiful. Before I could return to reality I was walking through the hole.

The tunnel wasn't long, maybe seven or eight steps before I had to push through another bush. Ryan was standing just on the edge of the beach, nearly in the small forest I was in. I moved a couple of branches and stepped out onto the beach.

"Whoa……" I said. It was all I could think to say. The view here was incredible. The sun, high up in the middle of the sky, shone on everything. The water looked a brilliant white-blue, the leaves a bright green. It was the picture perfect tropical island you saw on postcards from people who were on vacation.

"You like it?" Stephanie asked. I turned to respond, but my reply was cut short. Her blonde hair shone brightly, and it framed her face perfectly. It lay on her shoulders, covering the straps on her dark blue sundress, which flowed down to her knees. I saved her eyes for last, and I literally lost all ability to speak when I saw the life in her. It was fascinating.

It took me a moment to realize that she was waiting for an answer. I nodded, unable to trust my voice enough to speak. She smiled, and then began to laugh.

"Anna!" She yelled. I turned to look for the red head, assuming she was Anna. She was at the edge of the water, letting the waves splash her feet.

"What?!" She yelled back.

"What are you doing?!" Steph began to walk towards the water to join her.

"Swimming!"

"I'm pretty sure that isn't classified as swimming." She was now nearer to her friend, and she slid off her dress to reveal a white bikini top and camouflage shorts. The familiarity made me laugh.

"Throw it by mine." Anna said, pointing to a piece of black cloth that must've been her dress. Steph threw hers, landing it nearly next to Anna's.

"You guys want to?" Steph asked looking back at Ryan and me.

"Uh, no thanks." Ryan said, walking away from the forest.

"I don't wanna push it." I said, motioning towards my foot. She shrugged and ran to join Anna in the waves.

"Who ARE these girls?" Ryan asked, watching them. They were laughing and jumping around as they splashed each other with water.

"Friends." I shrugged. "Well Stephanie is, anyway. The blonde." I clarified, seeing his questioning gaze. "I know just about as much as you do about the red head."

"Anna." He said, looking at me. "Her name's Anna." He mumbled, looking down at the sand.

"That's what I figured." I shrugged.

"How did you meet her?" He asked.

"In my car." I said, laughing. I looked at Ryan, who was completely confused. "She hid out in a car that was picking me up after a show to take me to a hotel." I explained. "The most hilarious part was that she never freaked out. Never asked once for my autograph or a picture or a hug or anything, like she knew she'd see me again. She just said that she was a fan and she wanted to meet me, the real me. Then she began asking me questions, and I just answered."

Ryan was quiet for a while. I watched as the waves crashed on the shore. Steph and Anna had disappeared. I assumed they must've gone out farther. After a moment, Ryan spoke.

"So you just trusted her?" He asked, looking at me. "Not a question for her? Didn't suspect she could work for paparazzi? Or that she could be dangerous?" He said this with a certain tone, but I couldn't place if he was impressed or worried.

"Well, when she first popped up I was gonna start yelling for security, but she managed to stop me. When she explained herself, I was going to tell her to get out, but the look on her face. It…..it showed such………such truth, that I had to believe her. And when she asked questions the look on her face was so innocent that I just outright told the truth, and I haven't questioned her presence since." I said, looking at him. His face was blank, he just blinked at me. I turned away, looking back at the waves. "I don't expect you to understand what she means to me. Just don't bother trying to send her away."

He said nothing, just looking between me and the waves. He got up, walking away. He shook his head and ran his hands through his hair. I took a deep breath and sighed. I couldn't tell if he was angry with me or not, but he walked around the edge of the beach, sitting down on a log. He stared at the ground, saying nothing and doing nothing.

_What have I done?_


	7. The Common Denominator JB Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Understanding

*_later that same night*_

I shut the phone and gazed at the night sky. It was hard to believe that much time had passed. The stars were bright, leaving enough light to see around the beach and out into the ocean, but the breeze coming in was becoming chillier by the minute.

"Who was that?" Steph asked.

"My mom." I told her. "She wanted to know how long I was going to be out here. I told her that Ryan and I met some people we were hanging out with."

"Psh, met someone, right…." She laughed. "I met you a year ago."

"Wait, you mean…." I asked. She nodded. "Today's the day you snuck into my car!?"

"One year ago, yes." She smiled. "Oh, look at that. Anna finally got the fire going." Steph said, pointing at the flame. We got up and walked over to the make shift circle of logs Ryan and I had assembled a couple hours ago. Anna sat on the ground directly in front of the fire, Ryan on the log behind her. I sat down on the log opposite him. I didn't know if he was still mad or not, so I figured I'd let him vent what bugged him about this before I spoke with him.

"Sit any closer and you'll set yourself on fire." Steph said, looking at Anna.

"There's an ocean right there. I'll be fine." Anna replied. Steph laughed, and it helped to lighten the mood.

"Well good luck with that. I'm pretty sure being on fire tends to hurt, so I doubt you'll be able to run." Ryan said.

"I don't know, stay still and we'll see how fast someone on fire can run." Anna snapped back, turning to glare at him. He leaned back, his hands held up in surrender. Steph laughed.

"Anna, quit. I don't know what you did to this boy, but he looks scared for his life." She told her.

"As he should."

"Be nice or I'm taking you home."

"I'd like to see you try."

"Where do you two live?" Ryan interrupted.

"I live in New Jersey," Anna said. "But my parents travel, and I go with them everywhere. That's how I met Steph."

"I live in Georgia as of current." She smiled. "Atlanta."

"No way." I said.

"Yeah, since I was little."

"Wow, how did I not know that?" I asked.

"It never came up." She smiled. "Anna was up in Sacramento, which was very near to where I was. I had some shopping to do, and we happened to start looking at the same stuff when we ran into each other."

"I asked her why she was here," Anna said, taking over the retelling. "And she told me she was meeting up with a friend."

"And Anna, being the ever nosey friend she is, wouldn't quit asking who. I told her it was you." Steph said, looking at me.

"And of course I didn't believe her. I dragged her to my parents, who seem to listen to her more than me, and she convinced them to let me go with her." She smiled. "And now I'm here wondering why I ever doubt her, because she is just everywhere at once."

Ryan opened his mouth to ask another question, but Steph stood up.

"Anna, come here, we forgot something." Steph said, running off into the forest. Anna got up and followed quickly, leaving Ryan and l behind. It was silent for a long time, both of us just looking at the forest, waiting for them to come back.

"I get it." Ryan said. I looked at him, but he was still staring into the forest. I turned back, looking for any signs of their return. "I understand why you feel the way you do."

"Really?" I asked, unsure. Could anyone really know? I didn't think anyone could be affected the same way I had.

"Yeah. I don't feel exactly the same way, and I probably never will, but I understand why you're drawn to her. Why you love her." He scoffed. "Love. If you would've told me this morning that you loved that girl, I would've hit you and told you that you were crazy, but I see it, and I don't know how she can't." He said. "It's plain as day on your face."

I nodded. I was glad he understood, or at least accepted, how I felt. I looked at the sand for a moment, but my head shot up as I rethought what Ryan had really said.

"Wait," I said. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"What's what supposed to mean?" He asked.

"The part where you said "I don't feel exactly the same way". Who don't you feel exactly the same way about?" I asked.

"Calm down, Justin." He said. "I was talking about Anna. I don't think anything could get in the way of you and Stephanie." He laughed, and I couldn't help but join him. It seemed so ridiculous that Ryan would even think to try for Stephanie after today. I thought about that, how Ryan was now part of the secret, and Anna. They seemed good together. He was pretty easy going, and she very strong minded. They balanced each other.

"Ryan?" I said.

"Yeah?" He replied.

"Can you, uh, keep this to yourself?" I asked. "You know, don't tell anyone?"

"I figured you hadn't told anyone, or that girl would be all over the internet by now." He said. "Not even your mom knows?" He asked, looking at me.

"Nope." I shook my head. "I don't know how she'd react. I think it's a lot to handle."

"You don't know the half of it. It's insane, the looks you give her. She could just be sitting there, doing absolutely nothing, and you look at her like she's the most captivating thing in the world." He shook his head.

"Sometimes it seems like she is." I answered, knowing I didn't have to hide what I really thought now.

"So, you gonna ask her out or what?" He laughed.

"What?"

"Ask her out? On a date?" He said, looking at me.

"Why would I do that?"

"Didn't you just say you love her?" He asked with a tone that questioned my sanity.

"Well, yeah, but she doesn't love me. Not like I love her, anyways. She's also one of my best friends." I said, looking at the ground. I closed my eyes, listening hard to the forest. There was no sounds of movement, and I began to wonder how far out they had gone.

"Justin, I think she does. I talked with Anna. She told me about how Stephanie talks about you. It sounds a lot like how you're talking about her right now."

I closed them harder, trying to shove down the trickle of hope climbing into my heart.

_That kind of hope is what gets your heart broken_ I told myself.

"Justin." Ryan said. When I believed I had myself together I looked up. "I heard you and her talking before. Didn't she say something about today being the day you two met?" He said, but I couldn't see where he was trying to go with it.

"Yeah, why?" I asked.

"Make a move. Kiss her, hug her, tell her, do something. Tonight. I promise that you'll have me to thank later." He said.

"Why are you pushing this?" I asked. This was starting to get annoying.

"Because you're not!" He said. "I can't let you sit here and suffer over not going for this girl before someone else does." I looked back down at the sand. "Justin, I'm your friend, and I'm here to tell you that you're in love and you need a good kick in the-"

"JUSTIN!" Steph called from the forest. Both of our heads turned towards the noise. "RYAN!" Ryan got up, but instead of going towards the forest he began walking towards the coast line. He grabbed a small bucket, filled it with water and walked back over, dumping it onto the fire. He threw the bucket aside and looked at me.

"You have to do it tonight." He said before walking into the forest. I grabbed my sweatshirt and followed. The stars helped as I navigated my way throw the trees and shrubs, and I soon caught up to Ryan. We found Stephanie not long after, standing at the foot of a trail that lead further into the woods.

"Follow me." She smiled, turning and walking up the path. We climbed higher and higher with each step, trees surrounding every side of us.

After a long hike, the line of trees ended, revealing a small, grassy plain at the top of a hill. The opening allowed a full view of the starred sky and full moon. The light somehow illuminated and darkened everything in the same instant, leaving a very unrealistic air around us.

"Welcome." Anna said, sitting on a log in the middle of the space.

"This is my favorite place to go when I'm near southern California." Steph said, looking at the sky. "I could swear on my life that the sky is magic here." She smiled. "Look." She pointed up, and this time I got a clear view of the sky.

I tried counting, but I immediately lost track of which stars I had already counted. They were everywhere, stars with stars in-between them with stars in-between those stars. The moon was full, a complete circle, and there were very few clouds in the way. It was the sky that happened in fairy tales that you told to little children, and Stephanie was right. It was magic.

I looked ahead to where she stood, still gazing up at the sky. I walked forward, letting all barriers down. Hope was my main emotion at the moment as I stood at her side. She looked at me and smiled her breathtaking smile. My returning smile spread across my face, and she laughed.

"I don't think I've ever seen you so happy." She said shivering and rubbing her arms, which were covered partially with a towel.

"And you're cold." I said, looking at her shiver again. I knew what words were supposed to come out next, but my mouth dried up and my tongue froze in place. I couldn't speak, so instead I opened my arms and wrapped them around her waist. I looked up at the sky, not wanting to know her reaction. She was silent for a little bit.

"Justin." She finally said. I looked down into her eyes. She was still smiling, was that good?

"What are you doing?" She asked, but she didn't move. Did that mean she didn't want to move?

"You're cold." I said again. "Body heat keeps you warm." I said, gently hugging her. She smiled, laying her hands over mine.

"Thank you." She said, looking back up at the sky. It was quiet after that, just us looking at the sky. She shivered again, and I strengthened my grip on her. She still managed to turn in my arms and lay her head on my chest. It was perfect, until a rustle in the woods made her jump.

"Shh…" I whispered. "It's alright."

She was shivering more, but I couldn't tell if it was from fright or the cold, so I did the only thing I could think of.

"How many I told ya's and start overs and shoulders have you cried on before?" I sang. "How many promises, be honest girl, how many tears you let hit the floor?" My voice echoed throughout the quiet forest. She took a deep breath in, and I stopped to see what was wrong.

"Stephanie?" I whispered. I saw the tears stream down her face. "Are you alright?"

"Don't leave." She whispered. "Don't…" She shook her head slightly; she was barely conscious. She was falling asleep in my arms.

I held her tightly, slowly sitting and then laying down on the grass. She went along easily, keeping her head on my chest as I lay her down. I grabbed another towel to use as support, and she slowly wrapped her arm around me.

"Sing, please…" She whispered. I began where I had left off.

"How many bags you pack just to take 'em back, tell me that how many either or's? But no more, if you let me inside your world, there'll be one less lonely girl." Her breathing became lighter, and a small breath escaped her lips. I kept singing anyways.

"I saw so many pretty faces before I saw you, now all I see is you. Oh, don't need these other pretty faces like I need you, and when your mine in the world, there's gonna be one less lonely girl." I stopped, stroking her hair. She lay peacefully in my arms, just the way I wanted this to be. To have her, to hold her forever.

"Justin, we should get home." Anna said, now standing above us.

"I am home." I replied, not welcoming the interruption. Just a few more minutes before I go back, that's all I wanted.

"It's midnight, your phone has been vibrating for the past twenty minutes, and your mom's probably going to call out a search party soon." Anna said calmly. I saw her face, and realized that she understood, too. Ryan was right, my love for Stephanie was plain as day on my face. It was obvious to everyone but her. I didn't know whether to be thankful or upset.

"Steph." Anna whispered. Steph stirred, but didn't move. "Stephanie, get up." Anna said again. I slowly and reluctantly moved her arm, promising myself that I would never forget tonight. I managed to slip out from under her and stand up. I walked over to where my phone was and told my mother that I was heading for the hotel door and that I'd be up soon.

Anna had Steph on her feet in minutes, and we began walking down the path. We reassembled any left behind items from the beach and made our way through the rock. Once on the other side we made our way across the beach again, seeing no one. We made our way into the hotel and up into the elevator. Anna and Steph got off a few floors before us, and we made our way into our respective rooms.

My mom turned her head to welcome me back while she sat in her bed watching television. I got into the other bed and lay my head down to rest.

"How was your day?" She asked.

"Fun." I replied. "Met some people." I said.

"Fans?"

"Kind of. They were excited, but they didn't really freak out."

"So they were girls?" She asked.

"Yeah."

"And these girls, are they coming back tomorrow?" She asked, looking at the television. She was good.

"Yeah." I yawned. "Would you like to meet them?"

"Yes." She said. I nodded, debating on whether or not it should bother me that I would be introducing Stephanie to my mother tomorrow. I figured I could put it off until then and quickly fell asleep picturing a starry night sky.


	8. The Common Denominator JB Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Introductions

_Stephanie's p.o.v_

"Justin……Justin……CALM DOWN." I told him. "Breathe, alright? It's not a problem. Why is it a problem?"

"What's going on?" Asked Anna. She was in the living room area while I lounged in the kitchen. It was nice of my parents to pay for this room for us, especially since they were still in Atlanta. I really did feel bad when I let them worry about me, but my parents weren't the problem right now.

"Justin apparently promised his mom that he'd let her meet us." I explained quickly.

"And the problem with that is?" She asked.

"I have no idea." I told her. "He thinks it's a bad idea because his mom won't like me or something." I wanted to laugh, but I held it in.

"She might think that you're an extra crazy fan and that Justin's lost it for allowing you to be so close to him. I say go over and prove you're not insane." She said.

"Yeah, sure. Why not?" I grinned. "Justin, don't freak. This could be good. Anna and I will be over in ten." I hung up the phone and set it on the table.

"Wait, I heard Anna. What if Anna doesn't want to go?" She whined from the couch.

"Tell Anna her choices are go to meet Justin's mom or go missing." I shut the door. I waited as I listened to the squeak of the couch, footsteps, and a shutting door.

"Don't forget, Ryan is probably gonna be there." The door opened again, and soon mine flew open.

"Ryan's gonna be there?" She asked, her eyes wide.

"Uhm, yeah, you didn't think of that?"

"NO!" She began tearing through my suitcases of clothes.

"Don't you have your own clothes?" I asked her.

"Yes but none of them are cute enough!!" She threw out a couple shirts and kept going. I rolled my eyes and walked out.

"I'm using your clothes then!" I yelled, shutting her door. I grabbed a tank top and jean shorts, along with a silver heart necklace and my own dark blue flip flops. Quickly dressing, I walked out to find Anna spinning around in my orange sundress.

"You do know you have about ten sundresses, right?" I asked her.

"Yes, but none of them are this cute!" She spun again. The necklace she was wearing shimmered.

"Is that my orange slice necklace?"

"Yes. It matches well, don't you think?"

"You would have looked perfectly fine in any of your clothes." I walked into the kitchen and pulled out an apple.

"Yeah, but fine doesn't cut it!!" She said. I shook my head at her, taking a bite of my apple.

"What made you just instantly start crushing on Ryan?" I asked. She admitted after we had come home last night that she was completely falling for him.

"I dunno. He seemed like a cool guy at first, kind of like he was too good for a simple girl like me." She shrugged. "But then we got talking while I tried to get the fire going. He just, changed. He was sweet and funny and dorky and perfect." She sighed. "And I'm hoping to keep him that way." She smiled and skipped to the door, slipping on a pair of orange flip flops.

I rolled my eyes and, while putting on my dark blue pair, walked out to follow her. I hit the elevator button and waited until the bell rang and the door opened. Anna was still skipping while I walked like a normal person into the elevator. I yawned and rubbed my neck which still ached from last night.

"Anna." I asked, "Did you see if I was laying weird last night? My neck kills."

"Well, I imagine Justin's chest isn't too soft."

"Wait, what?" I couldn't believe she knew about my dream. Had I been talking in my sleep or something?

"Beach, hill, starry night, you were tired, Justin sang to you, you fell asleep on his chest. Get the picture?" She said sarcastically. "Do you really not remember?"

"It was just…. I mean I thought it was just a dream." I stuttered. "So it actually happened?"

"You bet it did, and from the looks of it he didn't quite mind either." She smiled mischievously. I just smiled.

"So you think he likes me?" I giggled. I sounded like a twelve year old all over again.

"Most definitely." Anna nodded. The elevator opened and we walked down to Justin's room. Knocking lightly, I fixed my hair and prepared my best smile.

"Hey." Justin said, opening the door. "They're here!" he yelled inside.

"Invite them in!" Pattie replied. I wondered how surprised she would be to see me. I remembered the last time I had talked with her was a few months ago. I had been more or less sneaking around her.

"Come in." Justin smiled, turning and walking inside. Anna and I followed, and we looked around at the room. It wasn't much different from ours, a living room area in which Ryan was playing some game, a kitchen, and rooms in the back. Pattie emerged from around the corner, and I noticed a small pause in her step. I half smiled at her, and she smiled a bit.

"Hi. I'm Anna." She held out her hand.

"Pattie." She shook Anna's hand and turned to me.

"Stephanie." I smiled.

"Hello Stephanie. So, how long have you girls been hanging out with Justin?" She asked.

"Mom…" Justin whined slightly under his breath.

"No, it's fine. We've been hanging out together for the last few days." I answered. "Actually, I was at the last concert." I knew this is what she had really meant. Justin's eyes widened at my response. I could tell he had no clue where this was going.

"Oh really? Good seats?" Pattie asked. I knew this was gonna get fun.

"Great." I answered.

"Good." She smiled. "Justin loves his enthusiastic fans, right Justin?"

"Uh, yeah." He said utterly confused. He looked at me, expecting some kind of answer. I looked towards Pattie, smiling.

"Justin, Scooter wants to see you. He's across the hall. Take Ryan with you." Pattie told him. He turned to Ryan, who was talking with Anna, and they got up and left.

Everything was still for a moment after the door clicked shut. I turned to Pattie.

"Come give me a hug!" Pattie threw her arms around me, and I hugged her tightly.

"Gosh, it's been so long." I pulled back looking at her. "How have you been?"

"Good, good. You came just in time. He's really been missing you. He's been dazing off any chance he can get." She smiled.

"Whoa, what?" Anna asked. She was watching us incredulously. "Would anyone care to explain?"

I laughed, "I figured you'd be a bit lost."

"More than a bit. I thought this was the first time you've met Pattie?"

"Glad to know you talk about me." Pattie laughed. "I've met Stephanie multiple times. She sneaks backstage a lot to come see Justin, although he thinks I know nothing about her."

"He assumes things." I explained, "I never said I didn't meet you. My only question is why he still thinks that. I thought you would've talked to him about it?"

Pattie sighed. She walked into the kitchen and grabbed a small glass of water. "I just don't have the heart to tell him. He thinks this is something of his own, something only he has." Her voice became soft, her words layered in love and concern for her son. "You've really touched him. Sometimes I swear your two parts of the same person."

I brushed the tears off my face. "I'm glad I've gotten to know Justin." I smiled. "It's been fun. He's like my best friend." I told Pattie.

She smiled. "It's so great that he has you. I couldn't have asked for anyone better to keep him grounded."

I was about to thank her for her kind words when a loud rumble echoed and Anna grabbed her stomach.

"Uh, sorry to break up this wonderful moment but could we maybe grab a bite somewhere? I'm starving." She smiled sheepishly. We turned as the door opened again and Ryan walked back in.

"Justin is almost done talking to Scooter. He wanted me to ask if anyone's hungry."

"We are." Anna and I said.

"Well I guess we should go then." Pattie said. "Los Angeles is just a boat ride away. We can make plans for something."

"Perfect." Justin walked back in the room and grabbed his hat from the table. "Let's go."


End file.
